THE TITLE "FEAST OF CREATION IN CHRIST"

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THE FEAST OF CREATION IN CHRIST

The rationale for its Christological title and the meaning of “Creation in Christ” 

For in Christ all things in heaven and on earth were created.
Colossians 1:16

The “Feast of Creation in Christ”, also known as “Festival of Creation in Christ” or “Creation in Christ Sunday”, has been formally adopted by the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) used by many Protestant churches and is being instituted in various other liturgical calendars. This brief paper1 explains (I) the rationale for a Christological feast title and (II) the meaning of the expression “Creation in Christ.”

I. WHY A CHRISTOLOGICAL TITLE?

First, it is worth reviewing the overall motivation for a Christological title. While the traditional name in grassroots celebrations of recent decades has been “Creation Day” or “Feast of Creation,” the Assisi ecumenical conferences of recent years have surfaced a recommendation by liturgists to adopt a Christological title to best substantiate how this feast would enrich and enhance the liturgical calendar.2 

The recommendation is grounded in the Christological nature of the liturgical year. This is a consistent pattern across the calendars of the so-called liturgical traditions, including that of the RCL family of churches. As explained by the RCL itself in its introduction: “The Revised Common Lectionary... follows the basic calendar of the Western church... and allows the sequence of gospel readings each year to lead God’s people to a deeper knowledge of Christ and faith in him.” 3 Relatedly, the calendar of its sister lectionary, the Roman Catholic one, follows the same logic: “Within the cycle of a year, [the Church] unfolds the whole mystery of Christ.” 4

The various feasts of the Christian calendar contemplate the manifold dimensions of the mystery of Christ, as is evident in the titles of the feasts featured in the RCL.5 Thus, this particular feast – the Feast of Creation in Christ – follows that same logic. In the words of a recent report about the theological foundations of the observance: “Following the Christ-centered lens of the liturgical year, a central feature of this Feast is therefore its explicit Christological orientation. The Feast commemorates Christ’s role in the act of Creation.” 6

It is worth clarifying that the Christological title is an entry point into the broader mystery of Creation. Christ opens the door to then dive deeper into the rich theological treasure entailed in this holy day, ranging from the commemoration (anamnesis) of God’s creative act per se and its Trinitarian breadth all the way to the sacramental and covenantal nature of the created order, and beyond. To again quote the theological report: “This feast invites us to contemplate the mystery of Creation first and foremost through Christological lens. [Yet], complementary perspectives are important to savor the broader richness of this foundational tenet of the Christian faith... This Christological dimension is only one facet of the mystery.” Ultimately, “Creation is a multi-faceted mystery; thus, the Feast of Creation is a multi-faceted feast.” 7

So the use of the official title “Feast of Creation in Christ” in liturgical books does not preclude the parallel use of the broader title “Feast of Creation”, in line with ecumenical custom of recent decades. Rather than rigid attachment to one over the other, interchangeable use of titles may actually be advisable.

II. WHY THAT PARTICULAR TITLE OF “CREATION IN CHRIST”?

Multiple formulations could arguably be used to convey Christ’s role in the creative act at the core of this feast. In the course of the various ecumenical dialogues, the expression “Creation in Christ” has emerged as the most robust formulation of that Christological understanding of the mystery of Creation.

“CREATION... ”

To start with, during the last four decades of ecumenical celebrations, the word “Creation” has been at the heart of the September 1 observance – the date and the word are inextricably linked, and will continue to be so. Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, during the academic dialogues the word “Creation” stood out as a core concept that is immensely rich and a source of much theological substance for continued liturgical unpacking through preaching and celebration. “Creation” is the foundational notion and tenet that serves as overarching umbrella for the various themes entailed in the feast,8 particularly the act of Creation at its core. 

“... IN CHRIST”

To convey the relationship between “Creation” and “Christ”, the preposition “in” surfaced as the preferred connector – “Creation in Christ.” This is not only because of its brevity and convenience in a name, but – most importantly – it is driven by its theological richness. Namely, the word “in” contains at least three key interrelated meanings, as articulated in the epistles of Saint Paul.

1. Everything was created IN Christ:

“For in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible... – all things have been created through him and for him.”
    — Colossians 1:16 (NRSVue)

On one side, the preposition “in” is another way of expressing that the world was created through Christ, as clarified later in that same Colossians verse and stated in various other New Testament texts (such as John 1:3, 1:10, Heb 1:2, 1 Cor 8:6). Christ is the “Word” (John 1:1) that was “spoken” in the Creation account of Genesis 1 (as seen in that recurring refrain “And God said”), through which all creatures came into being. This is a foundational notion for the understanding of Christ’s role in the creative act.

On the other side, the preposition “in” takes this one step further by implying that Christ is not only the ‘channel’ through which creation happened, but also that Christ is (I) the ontological context in which the creative act takes place and (II) the eschatological end for which the creative act takes place (i.e. the “for him” in that Colossians verse, expanded in point #3 below).

2. Everything created is held together IN Christ:

“He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
   — Colossians 1:17

In that same hymn, Paul then expands our understanding by presenting Christ as a bridge between:

1. • the creative act “in the beginning” (creatio ex nihilo, or “creation out of nothing”), when everything was “created” through him and in him (note the past tense), and
     
     

   • the creative act still underway now (creatio continua, or “continuous creation”), when everything that was created continues to be held together “in Christ” (note the present tense).
     
     

Proclaiming that all things hold together in Christ is another way of expressing that all things are sustained by Christ (Heb 1:3). The eternal Word continues to contribute to the ongoing maintenance and flourishing of creation. The created order subsists in, is centered on, and is grounded in Christ.

3. Everything created will be recapitulated IN Christ:

“He has made known to us the mystery of his will... as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”
    — Ephesians 1:10

Lastly, after considering Christ’s creative role in the past and present, we must also look into the future. The creation of all things in Christ had “a plan” in mind: “to gather up all things in him”. Christ is the eschatological end for which the creative act takes place in the first place. As expressed in the doctrine of recapitulation by Irenaeus of Lyon, built upon this Eph 1:10 verse, creation in Christ and redemption in Christ are two sides of the same coin. Christ is “the Alpha and the Omega” (Rev 22:13).

(It is worth noting that this eschatological “end” is already pondered in the other feast of Christ the King / Reign of Christ at the “end” of the liturgical year. Thus, the Feast of Creation in Christ focuses mostly in commemorating Christ’s role in the creative act per se, both “in the beginning” and ongoing, which is currently missing from most liturgical calendars; but that celebration of the creative act naturally entails a consideration of its ultimate end. All mysteries are connected in the one mystery of Christ; likewise, all feasts are connected in the liturgical year, even if they focus on particular facets of the mystery of Christ.)

In short, the “Feast of Creation in Christ” celebrates the creation of the world through and in Christ (creatio ex nihilo), as well as the ongoing creation in which all creatures continue to be sustained and held together in Christ (creatio continua). In turn, this commemoration of Christ’s role in the creative act then leads to the holistic celebration of the other dimensions of the mystery of Creation, including its Trinitarian scope and the significance of the created order.

Since Creation and New Creation are two aspects of a single Christological arc, this intentional celebration of the “Creation in Christ” will greatly enrich our celebration of the “New Creation in Christ” that is already pondered by other feasts of the liturgical year.